Founded in 1885, the Crocker Art Museum at 216 O Street in downtown Sacramento is widely regarded as the oldest continuously operating public art museum in the American West. Visitors come for a collection that spans California painting, European master drawings, Asian and African art, and international ceramics, all housed a short walk from Old Sacramento and the Capitol Mall.
The museum’s architecture tells its own history. Seth Babson’s ornate 1872 Italianate gallery, with its gilded ceilings, inlaid floors, and sweeping staircase, connects to the Crocker family’s Victorian mansion. Both now join the angular Teel Family Pavilion, which opened in 2010 and roughly tripled the museum’s size. Inside, Gold Rush-era landscapes by Charles Christian Nahl and Thomas Hill share the building with works by Wayne Thiebaud and other Sacramento artists, along with one of the country’s notable holdings of master drawings. Rotating exhibitions fill the galleries throughout the year (Crocker Art Museum).
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
The Crocker opens Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM and closes Mondays and Tuesdays. Admission costs $15 for adults; $10 for seniors, college students, and military; $8 for youth ages 6 to 17; and nothing for children 5 and under. Members enter free (Crocker Admission). Booking timed tickets online saves time at the desk (Plan Your Visit). Weekday mornings bring the smallest crowds, while weekends draw families. After your visit, walk a few blocks to the Old Sacramento waterfront or the California Museum on O Street.
